Bless the Broken Road
by drewandian
Summary: Elizabeth and John examine their relationship with a little help from a song and some nudging from their friends
1. Chapter 1

Bless the Broken Road

A/N: Stargate SG-1 and Stargate:Atlantis do not belong to me, I just like to take the characters out and play with them from time to time. I'll put them back, I promise!

"Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts doesn't belong to me either.

This is in response to a challenge I came across at Command Dynamics: A story with a song by Rascal Flats or a really cute love song! Elizabeth has to realize her feelings for John, or they are already in a relationship and one of them contemplates their relationship. It haunted me until I wrote it….

Rating: Teen

Pairings: Elizabeth/John, Sam/Jack(established), Daniel/Vala(hints anyway)

Set early in Season two of SGA

This is my first Atlantis fic…please review (but be gentle!)

The day full of meetings and briefings dragged on, seeming like it would never end. Elizabeth could see that her team was getting impatient with the IOA and Generals O'Neill and Landry were doing little to hide their impatience. Finally the last meeting of the day ended and everyone stood, stretching and breaking off into small groups. Elizabeth smiled at the sight of her team and SG-1 joking and sharing stories. John felt her eyes on him and turned to smile back, shrugging his shoulders. Elizabeth tilted her head toward him, only to be distracted by Vala bouncing over to her.

"I think we ladies have earned some 'retail therapy'!" Vala stated, smiling charmingly at Elizabeth. "What do you say? Shopping, then dinner and drinks with the guys at O'Malley's?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously. Vala had seen the look her new friend had exchanged with the yummy Lt. Colonel and wondered if they knew how bad they had it for each other. She couldn't wait to play matchmaker again. . .

Plans were made to meet later that evening and the ladies headed to the locker room to change into civvies. Vala took one look at Elizabeth's jeans, white t-shirt and brown leather jacket and shook her head.

"Right, "she thought, "this is going to be harder than I thought."

~*~*~*~

"I don't know . . . "Elizabeth started, wrapping her arms self-consciously around her middle.

"You look fabulous, darling!" Vala gushed, and motioned to Teyla and Sam for backup.

"Oh yeah! Fantastic!" they agreed, Teyla caught Vala's eye and smirked at her.

"Dressing up a little _is _a nice change from those uniforms, don't you agree Elizabeth?" Teyla encouraged.

Elizabeth sighed and caught Sam's gaze, silently begging for help. Sam just bit back a smile and shrugged.

Elizabeth turned and looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. They had a point – the black skirt sat perfectly on her hips and flirted right above her knees; the dark purple strappy tank top hugged her figure perfectly and showed just the right amount of cleavage. Her creamy skin looked like porcelain against the dark clothes. The black strappy heeled sandals Vala had chosen made Elizabeth's legs seem impossibly long.

For the briefest moment, Elizabeth let herself wonder what John would think of her new outfit and shook her head.

"Where did _that_ come from?!" she thought, as she put a hand on her belly and tried to quiet the butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence there. She rolled her eyes at herself; Dr. Elizabeth Weir did not have a crush on someone from her expedition team! Could not . . . she just didn't do that sort of thing.

She turned around and nodded at the others. "Ok, you win!" she chuckled as Vala let out a little cheer and hugged her tight.

~*~*~*~

John took his beer from General O'Neill and noticed that the General's attention had shifted to the door. He thought he saw Jack's eyes light up and couldn't help but wonder if all the rumors about the former CO of SG-1 and _his_ former 2IC _finally _getting together were true. John watched in amusement as Sam sauntered over to Jack, a challenging gleam in her eye. John cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably as he witnessed Sam plant a kiss on Jack's lips.

"Well, I guess that rumor true." John muttered under his breath. He caught Daniel's eye and flushed a little when Daniel smirked at him. John was rescued by Vala sideling up to Daniel, putting her arm around his shoulders and placing a smacking kiss on his cheek. It was John's turn to smirk as Daniel squirmed uncomfortably and wriggled out of Vala's grasp.

Ronon chuckled and patted Daniel on the back. Then he turned to Vala and asked about Teyla and Elizabeth.

"They'll be right in." Vala smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "Elizabeth just needed a minute." The men shot Vala a look, wondering what she was up to. John noticed Sam whisper something in Jack's ear, both of them quickly glancing at him. Not for the first time, and most likely not the last time that night, John shifted uncomfortably. John turned to Ronon, trying to see if he had any idea what was going on when he felt Rodney pound him on the arm in an attempt to get his attention. He turned to snipe at Rodney and stopped when he saw the scientist's shocked expression. He opened his mouth to ask Rodney what was wrong when Rodney just shook his head and pointed to the door.

John turned, his gaze following Rodney's finger. He did a double take when his eyes found Elizabeth's. She smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged. His eyes raked down her body, taking in the tight tank top, flirty skirt and heeled sandals. He couldn't help but notice the contrast of the dark clothes against her ivory skin. He caught himself staring and felt his heart rate quicken. John raised his eyes back to hers, giving her a slightly crooked smile and nodding a tiny bit. He turned to the bar and ordered himself a shot as she made her way over to them, Teyla coming up behind him.

"Get a grip, John!" he muttered, his hand shaking as he threw back the shot, washing it down with a swallow of beer.

The group made their way to some tables that had been pushed together; after some sneaky work by Sam, Teyla and Vala, Elizabeth found herself sitting next to John, their chairs so close together that their thighs kept bumping. The butterflies that had made their appearance earlier went crazy every time she felt his leg brush against hers. Elizabeth breathed deeply, trying to calm the butterflies, and immediately realized her mistake as she was inundated by John's scent.

Sam and Jack exchanged a knowing look as they picked up on the subtle effect John was unknowingly having on the typically unflappable doctor.

To Elizabeth's left, John was having a similar problem. Elizabeth's scent was driving him mad and his heart was pounding so hard he was sure everyone in the bar could hear it. He tossed back the last of his beer and tried to focus on the conversations going on around him.

John thought back over the relationships he'd had over the years and mentally shook his head. Even if she felt the same way he did, she deserved better than him. John sighed and excused himself from the table, heading to the bar to order everyone another round. He glanced back at the table, smiling in spite of himself when he caught sight of Elizabeth laughing at something someone had said. She had thrown her head back and John couldn't help but stare at the expanse of pale skin she left exposed. The desire to put his lips to that warm, smooth skin overwhelmed him and he turned away, just to find Jack O'Neill standing next to him.

"Though you might need a hand" Jack gestured to the trays of drinks. He cleared his throat. "Does she know?" he paused; John shot him a confused look. "Elizabeth. Does she know how you feel?"

John felt his face flush and opened his mouth, intending to deny what Jack was suggesting. Instead he found himself shaking his head. "I didn't really know how I felt till she walked in the door tonight, dressed like that." John admitted. "How do you do it, sir? Once you realize how you feel; how do you work side by side with her?"

"Call me Jack, please. And you just do. You realize how lucky you are to at least be able to see her every day, even if you can't ever touch her or tell her how you feel. You find yourself almost hoping that she doesn't feel the same way, 'cause you know that she deserves better. Better than you and your screwed up past. Better than a love that can never be expressed." Jack paused and glanced back at Sam. "Then, one day, you decide to say 'screw it!' and you take that chance. And, if you're a lucky bastard, like me, you find yourself in her arms, hopefully for the rest of your life." Jack raised his beer to John and smirked. "'Course, you could just tell her and save yourself all the trouble."

John shook his head and chuckled at the older man's words. "You are the expert, I guess, aren't you?" he asked, realizing that Jack and Sam had overcome insurmountable odds to be together. Maybe there was a chance for him and Elizabeth. Not that he's ever telling her how he felt . . .

The two men walked back to their table and passed the drinks around. John moved back around the table, stumbling on his way back to his chair. He put his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder to steady himself and heard her gasp at the skin to skin contact. His eyebrows shot up and he determinedly avoiding meeting Jack's eyes across the table. He quickly moved his hand and sat back down, intentionally nudging her knee with his, offering her a quick smirk when she shot him a questioning look.

They finished their meals and relaxed into conversation until Vala finally sighed loudly and shifted irritably.

"I just simply can not sit here and talk any longer! Daniel, darling, come dance with me!" she stated, taking Daniel by the hand and practically dragging him out of his seat. Daniel looked back at the group pleadingly and allowed himself to be pulled out onto the dance floor. Vala wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck and pulled him close. Sam shook her head and smiled at her friends, then nudged Jack, nodding slightly toward Elizabeth. Jack cleared his throat and nodded back.

"Elizabeth?" Jack asked, standing and offering her his hand.

"Oh! Um, OK . . . "she stuttered slightly, standing and letting him lead her to the dance floor. John watched her go, enjoying the way her skirt swished around her legs. He caught his team shooting him looks and snickering.

"What?!" he defended himself, mortified when his voice cracked a little. He felt his face flush and shrugged. Sam smiled sympathetically and exchanged a glance with Cam, who stood up and asked Teyla to dance. Sam excused herself from the table and headed to the juke box. She chose a few songs and decided to ask John to dance before Rodney asked her. The last thing she needed, she figured, was Jack beating Rodney up.

She took John's hand and led him to the dance floor, giving Jack some space when she saw that he seemed to be in a very heated conversation with Elizabeth.

"Jack, I can't answer that!" Elizabeth exclaimed, a little shriller than she had intended.

"C'mon Elizabeth, it's pretty clear to everyone else what's going on. I just wanna know how_ long_ it's been going on!"

Elizabeth sighed and figured if there was anyone she couldn't fool, it was Jack. She knew his and Sam's story. She knew he'd see right through any lies she tried to tell him.

"Look, I didn't even really realize it till today. As long as we were in Atlantis, I could chalk my concern up to being the commander of the expedition. I didn't have to worry about justifying my concern and I certainly didn't examine my feelings too closely. That," she cleared her throat, "that would've been too dangerous. Then Vala dragged me out today, insisting on dressing me up and I let her. Now, I realized that I let her because I liked the idea of dressing up for _him_. God that sounds so . . . so . . . ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

"No, it sounds, well, girlie, actually." Jack chuckled when Elizabeth lightly slapped his arm. "But that's OK. So is caring about him . . . even if it's more than you're supposed to. Look . . . I'm horrible at this, but I hafta say – don't let what happened with Simon spook you." Elizabeth looked down and bit her lip, blinking away the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. Jack put a finger under her chin and tipped her face back up, meeting her eyes with his. "Believe me; I know what I'm talking about. I'm an expert at screwing things up and denying myself the chance at happiness." He paused and looked over at Sam, smiling softly. "Take the chance, Elizabeth. You've sacrificed enough." He finished quietly. He danced Elizabeth over to Sam and John just as the track on the juke box changed.

"Hey Sheppard, how 'bout you let me dance with my wife." Jack raised his eyebrow at John and laughed when the Lt. Colonel's jaw dropped.

"Your, your wife?" John looked back and forth between Sam and Jack in disbelief. "Oh, yeah, rumor definitely confirmed" he muttered at she stepped back from Sam, letting Jack take his place. Jack in turn placed his hand on the small of Elizabeth's back and gently pushed her toward John. He nodded at her and tilted his head in John's direction.

"Have fun kids!" he quipped, spinning Sam away.

John and Elizabeth looked at each other; she twisted her fingers together; he shifted uncomfortably.

"This is ridiculous!" Elizabeth thought. "We're friends; we've been friends for over a year, this is NOT a big deal." She took a deep breath, her green eyes met his and she smiled. "Rascal Flatts." She said, nodding toward the juke box and taking a step closer to John.

"'Bless the Broken Road'" John grunted, closing the space between them.

"Great song" she answered back, putting her hands around his neck.

"Yeah," he retorted, putting his hands on his hips and rolling his eyes at his sudden inability to form an intelligent sentence.

Elizabeth let her head rest on John's shoulder as the music washed over her. She could feel his breath in her hair and closed her eyes.

"Every long lost dream led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms  
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you"

The words hit her like a ton of bricks and Elizabeth realized that Jack was right. What if everything, everyone, else was just leading her to this, to John? Could she really just walk away from it all, never knowing what might've been?

Elizabeth decided that she had, in fact, sacrificed enough. It was time to do something for herself. And if the way John's fingers were absently caressing her sides as they danced was any hint, he felt the same way.

"I think about the years I spent, just passing through  
I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you  
But you just smile and take my hand  
You've been there, you understand  
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true"

John tried not to shudder as he felt Elizabeth's warm breath tickle his neck. He wondered if she had any idea what she did to him. He suspected she did or she wouldn't have been playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck like she was. He suppressed another shudder and another thought hit him as he listened to the words. He had a feeling that they'd been set up and knew that Sam had chosen this song specifically.

"OK, I get it . . ." he muttered. He tightened his hands on Elizabeth's hips and softly dropped a kiss on her temple, right by her ear. "Elizabeth, we need to talk." John whispered in her ear. He felt her nod her head against his shoulder. She lifted her head reluctantly and their eyes met. Not for the first time, sparks flew between them. This time, though, they didn't try to hide it or deny it.

Unable to help himself, John leaned forward and gently kissed Elizabeth, his tongue hesitantly seeking entrance to her mouth. Her lips parted and she deepened their kiss. They broke apart to wolf whistles and cat calls (mostly from the Atlantis team). Elizabeth hid her face in John's chest and laughed.

"Wanna get outta here? Go talk somewhere more private?" John asked quietly.

Elizabeth nodded and let John lead her off the dance floor. They by-passed the table full of their friends and headed to the door. They'd have plenty of time to fill everyone in later.

They made their way to Elizabeth's car and got in. She turned to look at John, lifting an eyebrow and tilting her head at him.

"Who would've thought that a trip home to deal with the IOA would turn into this?" she asked, gesturing at the two of them.

"Well, we had help, nudging us this way, you know." He answered. "Do you think they were all in on it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know, but I guess I didn't hide my feelings as well as I thought I had." Her cheeks flushed as she admitted her feelings out loud. "John, I swore to myself that, as commander of the Atlantis expedition, I wasn't going to let myself get too close to anyone. I felt that it would undermine my authority, especially if anything horrible were to happen." She put a finger to his lips, and stopped him before he could say anything. "I always used Simon as an excuse. He was my fall back, my reason not to feel anything for anyone else. Little did I know that he'd moved on without me." She said bitterly. "I realized today, though, that it doesn't matter- none of it does. I can tell myself that I've stayed detached, but I'd be lying - I've been lying to myself for some time now. And I left Simon long before he left me." Elizabeth drew a shaky breath and let her hands drop to her lap.

She looked up at John and her breath was taken away by the intensity of his gaze.

"Elizabeth, I have to tell you, I'm no picnic. I buck authority every chance I get, I take risks, unnecessary risks usually, I'm stubborn . . ."he trailed off at the look she gave him. "Right. You already know all this. Look, I'm not saying that this will be easy, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Life's too short not to take chances."

"We have to keep our personal lives separate from our professional lives. This can't affect the decisions we make or how the city's run. I will not let this put any of my people in danger." Elizabeth insisted.

"Understood. Let's just take this one day at a time and make up the rules as we go." John answered.

She met his eyes again, searching for any uncertainty there. When she found none, she silently nodded her head.

"Now, where were we before those idiots so rudely interrupted us?" he asked, licking his lips.

John pulled Elizabeth to him, claiming her mouth with his, knowing that he would give her forever.

"But now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms  
This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you"


	2. Can't Fight This Feelin'

John pulled away from Elizabeth, cupping her cheek with his hand, stroking it lightly with his thumb. Holding her gaze, John moved his hand down her neck and brought it to rest on her shoulder, his fingers toying with the skinny strap of her top.

"Whose idea was this?" he asked, tugging the strap gently.

"Ah, Vala's responsible for that. But I'm pretty certain she had lots of help." Elizabeth answered, flushing slightly at the feel of his fingers brushing against her shoulder.

"Remind me to thank her." John trailed his hand down Elizabeth's arm and took her hand in his. "So? Now what?"

"Well, we should probably go back in there." Elizabeth grimaced at the thought of facing everyone after that kiss on the dance floor.

"_OR" _John started "we could just leave and deal with them tomorrow when they can't say anything." He finished hopefully.

"Yeah that would be good…" Elizabeth's voice trailed off. "Except that the keys are inside." She finished, gesturing at the car.

"Crap!" John muttered. He let go of Elizabeth's hand with a sigh. "Well…let's get this over with." They climbed out of the car, John coming around to meet Elizabeth and kissing her softly. "Ready?" he asked quietly. Elizabeth took a deep breath and nodded.

"As I'll ever be." She whispered.

They walked through the door hand in hand, both trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. As they drew closer to their friends, John fell back and pushed Elizabeth on ahead of him.

"Coward!" she hissed, shooting him a dirty look over her shoulder. He shrugged his shoulders and winked at her. She bit back a smile and shook her head, determined to simply get to her seat and her drink. She figured that if she got a few more drinks down she'd be ready to handle all the questions she knew were coming. She sat down with a relieved sigh and shivered slightly as John trailed his fingers across her shoulders and upper back on the way to his seat. Their eyes met and she smiled softly, blushing when he winked at her again.

"Havin' fun kids?" Jack asked, settling back into his chair and winking across the table at John and Elizabeth. Elizabeth snickered softly and dropped her gaze to her drink, wrapping her hands around the glass to avoid taking John's hand in her own. She wasn't sure she was really ready to show off the direction their relationship had taken.

"Of course, I should've thought of that before making out with him on the dance floor" she thought to herself, flushing.

"Great time, sir!" John answered cheekily.

"Well this is just great!" grumbled Rodney. "I guess now we'll be treated to hand-holding in the control room and kisses goodbye at the gate." He took a long sip of his beer.

"No!" Elizabeth's head whipped around to look at Rodney. "I can assure you that there will not be any of that!" she exclaimed, her face flushing bright red.

"Gee….you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself, Elizabeth!" John teased, draping an arm around her shoulders. He frowned when he felt her tense a little.

"Sorry" she mumbled, looking at him sheepishly and trying to relax. "Look…we've already figured out that most –if not all- of you had something to do with this." She gestured to herself and John. "But this can't go any further than this group. I think it'd be better if the IOA didn't catch wind of this. And it changes nothing about how the city is run." Elizabeth looked around the table, meeting everyone's eye in turn. "What goes on between me and John is just that…between me and John." She finished, challenging anyone to disagree.

Everyone nodded in silent agreement, almost afraid to disagree. Everyone except Vala.

"Elizabeth, darling, you've got to lighten up a bit!" Vala argued. "Besides, I saw you two out there – now that the cat's out of the bag, I'll bet you can't keep your hands off of each other – no matter where you are!"

Elizabeth started to shake her head.

"I don't know, Dr. Weir. Vala may have a point there." John challenged, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh, you're not _that_ irresistible, Colonel Sheppard." She retorted, earning a chuckle from the group.

"That sounds like a challenge to me, John." Vala said, egging them on.

"You're on, Elizabeth. I bet I can break you in a month." John wagered.

"Not a chance." She answered. "But, it'll be fun to see you try." She smirked at him.

"Oh, this is not going to end well!" Carson muttered under his breath.

John chuckled lightly and excused himself from the table, heading to the bar for another beer and a refill for Elizabeth. He stopped by the juke box on his way back, and returned to the table with a devious twinkle in his eye.

"What are you up to now, John Sheppard?" Elizabeth whispered as John sat back down. He smiled slyly and silently handed Elizabeth her drink. He raised his beer to her and took a long pull from the bottle. The group settled back into quiet conversation. Occasionally a couple would pair off and go dance – Daniel allowing himself to be dragged away again by Vala; Sam and Jack followed them, taking advantage of the rare opportunity to be together.

Elizabeth tried to focus on the conversation she was having with Cam, but John's hand on her knee, fingers gently rubbing her thigh, made it difficult. She shifted in her seat, hoping no one would notice. John shot her an amused look and slid his hand higher on her thigh. Elizabeth gasped, earning her a raised eyebrow and a smirk from Cam. She tossed back the last of her drink and excused herself, heading to the bar for a refill. She glanced back at the table and felt a rush when John's eyes met hers; she felt the air sizzle around her. She turned to find that Teyla had joined her at the bar.

"I think you may have your work cut out for you, Elizabeth." Teyla said with a gleam in her eye.

Elizabeth nodded and ordered shots for herself and Teyla. "Oh, I know." She answered, handing Teyla her drink. "But this is not a battle I intend to lose!" she threw back the shot, picked up her drink and headed back to the table with Teyla. "He can have his fun now," she said softly, "but as soon as we set foot on Atlantis, he's going to have to work for it!" Teyla met Elizabeth's amused smile with one of her own and couldn't help but feel a little badly for John – he had no idea what he was getting himself into!

Elizabeth set her drink on the table and took John's hand. "Come dance with me!" she demanded, pulling him out of his chair, a 'come hither' expression on her face.

They made their way to the dance floor and Elizabeth pulled John tight to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. She had a feeling that she might regret this later, but the three drinks and the shot she'd had were making her feel bold. Tomorrow, in the conference room, it would be business as usual; tonight, it was time to have a little fun!

She pressed her body to his, rotating her hips a tiny bit in time to the music. She smirked when John groaned softly. She met his eyes and her breath caught when she saw the fire that smoldered just below the surface. Sparks burned hot between them; she could feel the electricity crackling all around them. John licked his lips anxiously; Elizabeth realized that she was holding her breath and exhaled shakily.

The song playing on the juke box changed and John chuckled. "Finally!" he murmured, looking at Elizabeth with a gleam in his eyes. She suddenly had a feeling that John had just raised the stakes and her heart started beating wildly. She laughed when she realized what song he had chosen.

"REO Speedwagon?!" she asked with a giggle. "Really?"

"Well, it worked for me in high school!" he shrugged, flashing her a grin. She couldn't help but grin back as she shook her head. " 'Course, I've learned a few things since then." He growled, putting his hands on her bottom and pulling her flush against him. She gasped again and felt her face flush pink. John's eyes followed the flush as it worked its way down her neck and chest. He swallowed hard at the thought of just how far down the flush went and licked his lips again.

"I can't fight this feeling any longer.  
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow.  
What started out as friendship,  
Has grown stronger.  
I only wish I had the strength to let it show."

He smirked at the words and brought his right hand up to cup Elizabeth's face. John kissed her softly on the lips, pulling back before she had a chance to really kiss him back. Fire blazed in Elizabeth's eyes as she leaned into him, trying to kiss him back. He shook his head at her and ran his thumb over her lips. She shuddered at his touch and drew another deep breath as his hand traveled down her neck and across her collar bone. He traced the top of her low cut tank top with his finger, her breath speeding up, her skin on fire. John held her eyes with his, almost challenging her to look away. She held his gaze defiantly and tried to slow her breathing.

"I really do need to remember to thank Vala." He whispered, his voice rough. Elizabeth bit her lip, her breath catching in her throat as his other hand found its way under her shirt, coming to rest on her lower back.

Elizabeth's hands found their way to the short hair at the nape of his neck, her fingers brushing his skin, his breathing quickening. He shivered involuntarily and she smirked at him.

"Two can play at this game." She whispered. She rotated her hips again, just enough to illicit an immediate response from his body. He growled lightly, his right hand lightly passing over her breast, coming to rest on her hip. His fingers dug into her hip, just firmly enough to stop her movements. She moaned light at the brief contact, her eyes fluttering closed against her will. Everyone seemed to disappear – it was just the two of them, the music pulsing around them, her heart beating frantically against her ribs. She knew she would always relate this song to these feelings and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that had been John's intention all along. She couldn't bring herself to care about that much now, and filed it away for later consideration. Elizabeth found herself not caring much about anything other than the feel of his hands on her, his lean, toned body pressed against her soft, slender one. She breathed in deeply, drowning in his scent, her eyes opening slowly, as though she was waking from a long, deep sleep. Her bright green eyes found his hazel ones and she was overwhelmed by what she saw there. Raw, fiery passion, burning so hot she could almost feel the heat. She shuddered at the thought of just what that look meant. She knew how John was when he felt strongly about something and she found the thought of that fire and passion focused solely on her incredibly erotic. She felt her body respond so strongly that it was almost unbearable and she found herself clinging desperately to John.

"You're an incredible negotiator and smart as hell, but this is one game you're gonna lose." He whispered in her ear, grinding his hips into her. Her breath caught when she felt his erection against her.

"Oh, we'll see about that." She answered quietly, nibbling his earlobe. She claimed his mouth with hers, kissing him with a heat that surprised even her.

His hand made its way up from her hip, coming to rest on her ribcage, his thumb absently caressing the underside of her breast. Their kiss deepened, seeming to go on forever.

"Um, guys?" Vala's voice broke through the haze of their passion. "You ah, might wanna think about getting a room . . ."she whispered loudly. John and Elizabeth finally broke apart, both breathing heavily. Elizabeth bit her lower lip as John chuckled lightly.

"Best idea I've heard all night!" he answered cheekily, taking Elizabeth by the hand and leading her back to the table. He grabbed her keys while she threw back the last of her drink, her hand shaking as she set the glass back down. She tried to ignore the snickers and mumbled comments of her friends and determinedly avoided meeting anyone's eyes. She'd deal with them all later, right now her thoughts were focused on getting somewhere where she and John could be alone; by the look in his eye, she was pretty sure he felt the same way. They mumbled hurried goodbyes and John took Elizabeth's hand again, practically dragging her to the parking lot, much to their friends' amusement.

They made their way to Elizabeth's car and got in. Elizabeth rested her head on the head rest and tried to catch her breath. She could feel the heat radiating off of John and could hear him breathing heavily beside her.

"Now what?" John asked breathlessly. "We can't go back to the SGC – all the security checks just might kill me!" He reached over and tangled his fingers into hers.

She grimaced at the thought of the SGC with all its cameras. "No, we definitely can't go there." She groaned inwardly at the idea of a motel – it made this all seem very . . . cheap . . . somehow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Think, Elizabeth, think!" she thought. She could feel John fidgeting impatiently beside her.

There was a loud, sharp rap on John's window and they both jumped. John turned to see Daniel standing beside the car, a twinkle in his eye. John opened his window.

"I, uh, was thinking I'd stay at the SGC tonight – I've gotta take Vala and Teal'c back there anyway." He tossed a set of keys to John. "My apartment's not far from here, " he continued, handing John a napkin with directions scrawled on it. "You can thank me later." Daniel smirked and waved goodbye as he headed back to the bar.

Elizabeth met John's gaze, a slightly panicked look crossing her face. "Oh God," she thought, "this is really going to happen!" She suddenly found it difficult to breath and she trembled slightly.

"Elizabeth?" John asked quietly, putting his hand on hers and squeezing tightly.

"I'm . . . I'm Ok . . . " she answered breathlessly. "Let's just get out of here, OK?" She took her hand from his as he shifted the car into drive, Elizabeth reading the directions to Daniel's off of the napkin. The closer they got to Daniel's apartment, the smaller the car felt; the more she felt aware of John; the harder it got to breathe. All of her nerves tingled in anticipation of his hands and mouth on her, of his body over hers, until she thought she couldn't take it anymore. John put his hand on her thigh, fidgeting somewhat nervously with the hem of her skirt and brushing the inside of her thigh with his fingers. He chanced a quick glance at her and sped up, driving the last few blocks to Daniel's as quickly as he dared. They hurried up to his apartment, John's hands shaking a little as he tried to unlock the door.

John let Elizabeth in first, and had barely closed the door behind him when she pulled him to her, kissing him with a fire and passion that rivaled his own. The keys slid from his fingers, falling to the floor with a clatter, as his hands wound themselves in her brown curls, holding her to him. She moaned into his mouth, her body melting into his.

She pulled away when the need to breathe became too great, her eyes wide in shock, her breathing fast and shallow. She backed away from him and pressed her hands to her belly, shaking her head slightly in disbelief.

"I'm sorry . . ." she apologized breathlessly. "I . . . I . . .don't usually . . . " she trailed off helplessly, backing away from him again.

His eyes softened and he closed the space she put between them, taking her hands in his.

"Elizabeth, " he started softly. "You don't ever have to apologize for your passion when you're with me. It's ok to let go; to feel; you don't always have to be so cool and calm. It's ok to lose control." She swallowed hard and nodded, her eyes still wide, hands trembling in his. She drew a shaky breath and bit her lower lip. John pulled her into his arms gently and rubbed her back. He felt her relax into him and she tucked her face into the crook of his neck.

"Everybody OK now?" he teased. He frowned slightly when he felt her shake her head, a few of her tears wetting his neck. "Hey, " he said softly, "What's wrong?" he frowned again when she tightened her grip on him, not saying anything. "Elizabeth? Talk to me…" he coaxed gently.

"I'm all right." She mumbled into his neck. "Just . . . just a little overwhelmed. It's just too much…too much, too fast." She was speaking so quietly that he had to strain to hear her. "It's more…more than I expected. More fire, more passion, more . . . " she searched for the right word. "feelings…than I expected. I'm falling, John, and that scares the hell out of me. No matter how hard I try, there is no way I can talk myself out of this."

John moved his hands to Elizabeth's shoulders and pulled her back far enough to make eye contact. He cupped her face with his hands, rubbing her tears away with his thumbs. In the time he had known her, John had never seen Elizabeth fall apart. He'd seen her reign in her feelings, pushing them deep down inside, always the stoic leader, there to get a job done, never letting herself feel anything too deeply or too strongly. He knew she did that for self-preservation; he knew all too well how it hurt when you lost a member of your team. He also knew that they both deserved this chance. It was their time and he was determined to do whatever it took to reassure her, to make her know that she was safe with him.

"Hey…it's ok. Let yourself fall, Elizabeth. I'll catch you…I've been ready to catch you for a while now." Her eyes widened at what his words implied, the realization that she wasn't alone in all of this washing over her.

"It's my job to protect you, to keep you safe – nothing's changed. And I think it's about damn time we stop dancing around this. There are so many other things we're fighting – this is one fight I can't fight anymore!" John finished, his voice laced with frustration. "Don't try to negotiate your way out of this. Don't write us off without at least giving us a chance!"

Elizabeth tried to lower her eyes from his; the intensity in his making it hard for her to catch her breath. John put a finger under her chin, keeping her face tilted upward, her eyes on his. They stood like that for what seemed an eternity, his eyes burning with desire his feelings written clearly on his face. He was done hiding from her. Nothing else mattered, nothing but his moment right here, right now.

Elizabeth realized that Jack was right; she couldn't let her failed relationship with Simon keep her from giving this relationship a chance. She realized that John was right too. She was so tired of fighting, of not allowing anything good in her life. It was time for her to stop fighting these feelings, she agreed.

She brought her hands up to frame his face and slowly brought her lips to his, kissing him tenderly at first, her passion growing quickly; the kiss intensified, robbing her of much-needed air. She broke the kiss, pulling back from him, gasping.

Her hands tangled in his messy hair, pulling his lips to hers again. "Don't break me." She whispered against his lips, her voice raw with passion.

"Never." He groaned in response, his hands at her hips, bunching up her shirt and caressing the soft skin underneath. The thought that he could never truly keep that promise crossed his mind, but he pushed it way; he knew that she understood the reality of their jobs and the chance they were taking.

John put his hands on the small of her back and pulled her closer. Elizabeth moaned his name, deepening their kiss, her tongue seeking entrance to his mouth almost urgently. Her fingers tangled into his hair, pressing his mouth to hers. She could feel herself spiraling out of control, his kisses making her dizzy, and she just let go. She stopped fighting all the feelings that she was not supposed to have and melted into him.

She moved her hands to his chest, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, finally getting them open and pushing it away. She ran her hands over his chest, her fingers tangling in his chest hair.

He moaned her name and moved to kiss her neck and shoulder, nibbling gently on her creamy skin. He gathered her shirt in his hands and pulled it over her head. He paused to take in the sight of her lacy black bra against her fair skin.

"God you're beautiful." He murmured, smirking when she blushed, the flush traveling down her chest.

"Are you gonna just stand there ogling me all night?" she asked cheekily, grinning at the sight of his smirk sliding off his face. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an 'O' in surprise when the smirk was replaced with a dark, lusty look. He swooped down, taking her lips with his, kissing her fiercely and taking her breath away. Her hands worked frantically at his button as she hurriedly tried to remove all the barriers between them. He toed off his shoes, while she pushed his pants and boxers away, their lips never breaking contact.

His hands roamed all over her body, teasing her skin with feather light touches. She in turn ran her hands down his chest and abdomen, stopping to wrap her hand around him, stroking slowly. He moaned her name, his hips bucking slightly at her touch. She gasped as his hands ghosted over her lace-covered breasts, moving around to her back to unclasp and remove her bra. She shivered as he pushed the rest of her clothes away, dropping kisses down her neck.

Elizabeth gasped again, trying to catch her breath. "Wait…not…not…here!" she said breathlessly.

"You're right." He agreed, casting a quick glance around the room. Making an educated guess about where to find a bedroom, John scooped Elizabeth up into his arms and carried her, as she protested, down the hall.

"This'll work." He grunted, pushing his way into a bedroom he desperately hoped was not Daniel's and placed Elizabeth onto the bed. He stepped back and looked at her, taking his time, enjoying the sight of her stretched out on the bed; her skin glowing, reddish-brown curls spread on the pillow, green eyes gleaming with passion. She felt herself flush under his scrutiny briefly, before taking in the sight of him standing above her.

"C'mere" she murmured, reaching a hand out to him and pulling him down beside her. She turned her face to his, kissing him tenderly, the earlier fire giving way to gentleness. She ran her hands lightly over his body, exploring, learning everything she could about him. John shuddered involuntarily at her touch and deepened their kiss, tracing Elizabeth's lover lip with the tip of his tongue. She could feel his smirk against her lips as she gasped and pulled him closer.

She rolled to her back, pulling John with her, moving to let him settle himself between her legs. They both hissed and Elizabeth's eyes widened at the initial contact this created, gasping as he slowly entered her. She rocked her hips against him, moaning his name when he filled her completely.

He began to move, slowly at first, speeding up as the fire within him burned hotter. He held her gaze with his, reveling at the fire that smoldered in her bright green eyes.

"John!" she whispered, barely able to catch her breath. Her eyes fluttered closed as the tension began to build low in her belly.

"Elizabeth, look at me!" John whispered roughly. She fought to keep her eyes open, keeping eye contact with him as her release crashed over her in waves. She felt his body go tense with his own release, still fighting to keep her eyes on his. John dropped his forehead to Elizabeth's and struggled to catch his breath. Elizabeth shifted under him and he lifted his head, concern filling his hazel eyes.

"Are you OK?" he asked softly. She chuckled lightly and nodded her head.

"I am more than OK." She quipped, kissing him lightly. John grinned widely and rolled over to his side, resting his hand on Elizabeth's stomach.

"Yeah…I thought so!" he said cheekily. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and bit back a giggle.

"You're still not that irresistible, fly boy!" she retorted, rolling over to snuggle closer to his side, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Oh, we'll see about that, Doctor!" he murmured, dropping a kiss in her hair and drifting off to sleep, Elizabeth held in his tender embrace.

~*~*~*~

"Crap! Elizabeth? Crap! Hey, wake up!" John nudged Elizabeth gently, moving to drop a few light kisses on her cheek and temple. "Hey, as nice as this is…and it's REALLY nice…we need to move or we're gonna be doin' a walk of shame into a meeting with the IOA!" Elizabeth moaned softly and snuggled closer to John, her eyes flying open as John's words sunk in.

"Oh! Oh this is bad! I mean, not this…but …but being late is bad!" she sat upright in the bed, pulling a blanket around herself shyly when she realized that she was naked.

John shook his head, chuckling at the sight of the usually eloquent and well-spoken diplomat fumbling for words. "Now she's shy!" he mumbled under his breath, wincing slightly when she shot a glare in his direction.

Elizabeth sighed. "Just help me find our clothes!"

After a frenzied search and quick showers, they sped off to the SGC, arriving in time to change their clothes before the meeting, both relieved to find their respective locker areas blissfully empty. They slipped into the briefing room moments before the representatives from the IOA and General Landry; Elizabeth smiled gratefully at John as he handed her a steaming cup of coffee.

If the previous days' meetings had seemed painfully long, this morning's meeting was excruciating. Now that everything was relatively out in the open, Elizabeth found it increasingly difficult to focus on what was being said, and valiantly tried to avoid eye contact with just about everyone sitting around the table. John, she noticed, was sitting up tall, his chest puffed out, apparently very proud of himself. She knew that John understood how important it was that the IOA never caught wind of their new relationship, but she couldn't' help but be more than a little worried about them finding out. She kicked his shin under the table to get his attention and minutely shook her head at him. He grinned sheepishly at her and slouched a little in his chair.

Finally, the meeting was called to a close, although Elizabeth couldn't really be sure what, if anything had been accomplished.

General Landry stood and addressed the group. "I want to thank you all for your patience the last few days. Atlantis team, the Daedalus will be ready for you to board at 1500 hours. Enjoy your last few hours on base. Dismissed!"

Everyone stood, stretching and breaking into small groups again. Elizabeth tried to quietly slip out of the room, determined to make her way back to her quarters to pack and, well, hide maybe. She had made it about four steps down the hall when she was surrounded by the other three women. She allowed herself to be ushered into Sam's lab.

"Well?" Vala prompted, bouncing impatiently.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, feigning innocence.

"C'mon Elizabeth, spill!" Vala whined.

"Nope. Don't kiss and tell." Elizabeth answered, feeling her face flush. She looked at Teyla, who smiled gently at Elizabeth and then turned to Vala.

"Why don't we get some lunch, Vala?" Teyla took Vala by the arm and propelled her out the door. Elizabeth and Sam could hear Vala's complaints as Teyla led her to the commissary.

"Sorry about here…we're working on tact." Sam apologized, smiling warmly at Elizabeth.

"Oh…it's all right." Elizabeth answered distractedly. She cleared her throat. "Sam? Do you have a second?"

"Sure. Is everything OK?" Sam tried to catch her eye, but Elizabeth kept her gaze trained on some alien tech sitting on Sam's desk. "Oh no! Elizabeth – I'm sorry – about last night – I guess we all meddled in something…"

"No…really…it's all…last night was…well…um…" Elizabeth could feel her face start to flush. "Anyway, you guys were right. And last night was long overdue, in more ways than one." Elizabeth sighed and met Sam's eye. "Look, you've been there. You've watched the man you…love" she cleared her throat as she stumbled over the word "put himself on the front line over and over. I was terrified for John every time he went off world before; now…"her voice broke as her eyes welled with tears. "This…this is what I can't do in the control room. " She shook her head, disgusted with herself.

"Elizabeth, "Sam put her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "I won't lie. It's hard, especially with a man like Jack…or John…they're stubborn, pig-headed, and ten to act without thinking it through. But, you're tough too, or you wouldn't be commander of Atlantis. You'll get through every mission like you always have." Elizabeth met Sam's eyes again and nodded hesitantly. "Besides, "Sam added. "You can't let John win that bet…if he's anything like Jack, you'll never hear the end of it!"

"Very true!" Elizabeth laughed.

~*~*~*~

"Cam? Hey Cam!" John called, jogging to catch up with Cam and Daniel. "I need your help with something." Cam and Daniel listened to John's request, smiles widening as he explained what he needed and why.

~*~*~*~

The Atlantis team started making their way onto the Daedalus.

"18 days." sighed Ronon, waving goodbye to the SGC contingent that had come to see them off.

John noticed Elizabeth talking quietly with Sam and Vala, vaguely uncomfortable with the grin Vala gave him after she hugged Elizabeth goodbye. He noticed that Elizabeth herself looked rather smug. He put his hand in his pocket and felt the package he'd hidden there. He turned and grinned at Cam, Daniel and Jack, waving before boarding the ship behind Elizabeth.

"Just keep grinning, Dr. Weir." He teased. "You'll be eating your words before the month in Atlantis is over, trust me." He grinned cheekily at her.

"Oh this is definitely going to end badly." Carson said as the door closed behind them.


End file.
